‘Near collision’ at Shanghai airport: China Eastern plane takes off as another jet crosses runway

China’s civil aviation authority is investigating a “near collision” after an Airbus A320 passenger jet took off from a Shanghai airport runway on Tuesday just as an Airbus A330 was taxiing across its path. Both planes were owned by China Eastern Airlines, the news portal Eastday.com reported. The incident happened at about 11.54am on Tuesday as Flight MU5643 was preparing to take off at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Just as the aircraft’s captain was given permission to take off from the airport’s air traffic control centre, he quickly discovered that another A330 plane was traversing the same runway, the report said. The captain quickly decided to carry on with the take-off – and his plane lifted off just above the taxiing aircraft, the report said. No one in either of the aircraft was injured, it said.<br/>